Fishers of Men

Sermon for 25th January (Jonah 3:1-5, Mark 1:14-20)

Both readings today are about ‘repentance’ as challenges to the whole social order, the way we do things, the way things ‘ought to be’. And it’s a challenge especially to the rich, the powerful, those who make the rules for society (and sometimes break those rules), who oppress the poor, the marginal, the weak. It’s a call us to be challengers of society not just in what we say but in our lifestyles. If we say one thing, and live another, it is how we live that speaks loudest.

Let’s begin with the Jonah passage. The whole book of Jonah is a picture of God’s challenge to the rich and powerful oppressors. On one side is the powerless Jonah – all he has is his voice and an ability to listen to God – and a lot of guts! Ninevah was a capital city, but not just any capital; it was the capital city of the brutal Assyrian nation and it’s empire. Ninevah is set in the same fertile plain that Babylon was and with the same natiral resources in food production that Babylon did, allowing each, at different times, to become great empires. The Assyrians did so, through extraordinary cruelty. When they attacked a city, if it did not surrender it’s soldiers would literally be tortured to death after defeat. They took the most important citizens into exile and even uprooted nations to a different land where they would be powerless, not having a land to fight for. And Ninevah was the jewel in the crown of this evil empire. It spoke of riches, oppulence, power, all at the expense of the poor of other nations as well as their own. It’s into this city that Jonah comes, on his own, defenceless, to proclaim God’s judgement.

God’s judgement on the oppressor is less obvious in the Gospel reading. True, it starts off with Jesus taking a message of ‘repentance’. That was continuing the prophetic ministry of John the Baptist after John was arrested. But then it’s calling the four fishermen disciples, Andrew, Peter, James and John.

At this point you may be wondering what the connection is. After all, the usual understanding of Jesus’ call is to be fishers, gatherers of people. This is about evangelism, surely? No it isn’t. What Jesus calls these disciples to be is much more radical than calling people to be just church-goers. It’s a call to follow in the prophetic tradition of Joanah. The image comes from Jeremiah 16:16 where God’s agents of judgement on oppressors are ‘fishermen’. Similarly in Amos 4:1,2 fishers are coming to gather in those ‘who oppress the poor, who crush the needy’. And in Ezekiel 29:4 God himself is the fisherman who will bring judgement on Pharoah and Egypt. So Jesus is calling the disciples into a very radical ministry, continuing the prophetic role of challenging those who want to rule by power, or by wealth or by greed.

Now, this may not have been what you were expecting, and I was a bit surprised, but the Bible does that to us, doesn’t it? When you think you have understood it, a bit more information can change the way we understand a passage just like this one. I was surprised and disturbed by it. But the more I thought about it the more it made sense. After all it fits in with what Jesus did, working amongst the poor, living amongst the poor. Think of the Beatitudes of Matthew 5 and Luke 6: ‘Blessed are the poor, those who are hungry now, who weep now, or more, uncomfortably, the reverse in Luke 6, ‘Woe to those who are rich’, or think of the ‘Magnificat’ Mary song, celebrating the God who raises up the lowly, and brings down the mighty. It’s that tradition of love, with a bias to the poor, that Jesus’ disciples, are called to join in.

So, when Gordon Brown and Alasdair Darling lash rich bankers for awarding themselves more and more bonuses and pay rises, he is acting as a true Christian. When Barak Obama rejects torture and closes Guantanamo Bay he is obeying this call as a disciple- effectively also, I believe, rightly, judging the former administration. When Barak says that the fact the an old woman who struggles to get to the post office to pick up her pension is an issue for him even ‘though she is not his grandmother, he does the same. Bono is at his most Christian when he is involved in ‘Live-Aid’.

When I was speaking out against all who want to promote fascism at the Holocaust memorial event yesterday, I was being a disciple. When you challenge someone to be fair at work or in your social club, to those who have least, you are following in the footsteps of Jesus.

It has to go with lifestyle. Jesus lived what he believed. The disciples followed in same way so that there was none needy among the first church (Acts 4:34) within weeks of Jesus returning to heaven and the Church beginning. He rich gave from their excess so that none should struggle. One of my greatest concerns is that the poorest community who use our church, the ‘Gateway’ club, for those with leaning difficulties continues. In April its present leaders are retiring. There are volunteers but someone will need to take responsibility for it. I would love it if someone from this congregation did.

Jesus calls his disciples to join in a radical tradition and a lifestyle, to live humbly but to be prepared to speak out against injustice, excessive wealth and oppression of the poor. ‘Repent’ he says, think again, turn around, join me, for the sake of those who have the least.